Everything you need to know about the new PlayStation 5 Pro

The most Pro version yet!

Many rumours have flourished around the Pro version of PlayStation 5, but yesterday on the 31st of March, Sony revealed the PlayStation 5 Pro and lets just say it's seen a massive upgrade not just in terms of storage and APU but it quite literally has become massive. The good news is that Sony has shifted production focus over to the Pro version, explaining the shortage in the past year, meaning that getting your hands on this giant should be no problem. But is it worth the upgrade?

Is bigger really better?

The Pro model has certainly seen an upgrade. Design wise it is more or less the same, just significantly larger, almost three times the size of the original console. The console will also come in a black colour with a golden logo. In Sony's concept design it seems that this massive console should hold a more dominant space in your living room rather than being tucked away in a cabinet.

Processor

The processor or CPU will be the brand new AMD Zen 4 64-Core 4.3 GHz, which is exclusively made for Sony's new console by AMD. The original PS5 is equipped with the AMD Zen 2 8xCores 3.5GHz. So we're seeing a significant upgrade in terms of processor, which will hopefully make for a gaming experience unlike any other.

Graphics

Graphics are the heart and soul of a new console, and the new PS5 Pro does not disappoint. Just as with the standard console it will have 8K resolution. The major difference however is that in this model you will now have the ability to insert your own graphic card! As the Pro model comes equipped with a "graphic card slot" were you can insert your own graphic card for a customised and optimised gaming experience. Just like in a PC, you will be able to customise and build your console for the ultimate gaming experience the goal being to extend the consoles life as much as possible, by creating a graphic card slot users will be able to not only customise their gaming experience but also optimise to new generations of games.

The console will however come with a normal setup, so you don't need to buy new controllers to be able to play. The GPU is AMD RDNA 3, which is a brand new upgrade of the AMD RDNA 2, which can be found in the standard PS5. In other words, you get your moneys worth when it comes to graphics and performance.

Hard drive

The original console was already called a monster machine with the custom-built SSD of 825GB that can load 2GB of data in 1/4 of a second. So there is not much to improve here as the loading time between games is already eliminated; on the other hand, it is now possible to connect an external SSD of as much as 10 TB! It is already possible to connect an external SSD of max 4 TB to the original PS5, but this extension supports Sony's mission to make the console as flexible and durable as possible. This will also allow for the shift towards buying digital games rather than physical ones.

Controller and new features

The console comes with one controller, but it is now possible to have 8 controllers connected at the same time, both wired and wireless. The controller itself is basically the same, but the battery life has been improved by 20%.

Another exciting feature is that you will be able to buy solar panels that you can connect to the console. This will in turn allow you to take your gaming into your back yard, when the weather is simply too good to stay inside, it will also help take a load off of those energy bills! The solar panels will be available at the end of the year.

Turn your gaming into NFTs

As you know, VR glasses are compatible with PlayStation, and nothing has changed here. A new and exciting development however is a new and built-in program, called "NFT-creator" from which it is possible to make your very own NFT. NFT is a unique digital asset that can represent art, music, games, videos etc. So naturally it was an obvious step for Sony to include this feature in their new console.

Games

The Pro version will be able to play PS5 games, but with the new console you will experience almost photorealistic games, as this console makes the best use of all the game has to offer. In addition, Sony has announced that there will be more new games in the near future that can be purchased at a special promotional price in conjunction with the new console. So keep an eye out!

PlayStation 5 Pro is available for pre-order now and will be available for purchase from the 2nd of May and will retail for £750.